Coin refunding mechanism



Sept. 18, 1956 Filed May 2'7 1954 W. A. PATZER COIN REFUNDING MECHANISM2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVE TOR: J WW7 fi w a m [QM/W ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 18, 1956 w. A. PATZER 2,763,272

com REFUNDING MECHANISM Filed May 27 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ffzf' r I VIITI ITW'H 1i 3g IN VEN TOR.

BY I a 7 flr dz MM r W,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent COIN REFUNDING MECHANISM William A. Patzer,Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Seth B. Atwood,Rockford, Ill.

Application May 27, 1954, Serial No. 434,249

3 Claims. (Cl. 133-2) This invention relates to a mechanism for use incombination with coin operated devices and it relates. more particularlyto a mechanism for refunding a predetermined amount of coin in responseto the operation of the device to compensate for the differences whichexist between the purchase price of the commodities or other servicesrendered by the machine and the amount of coin inserted therein foroperation.

For example, in the use of automatic coin operated machines for vendinga package of cigarettes or the like which may cost 22 cents, it has beennecessary, in the past, to package the cigarettes with three l-centpieces contained between the cellophane wrapping and the packagedcigarettes and to set, the machine for operation to deliver a package ofcigarettes upon insertion of a 25- cent piece or equivalent thereof. Anumber of objectionable features are to be found in a marketing systemof this character.

Of minor importance is the inconvenience imposed upon the purchaser forstripping the cellophane wrapping from the package in order to removethe change and which,

ating members in a cycle of operation of the machine as a consequence ofthe removal of the cellophane wrapping, subjects the content material toaccelerated deterioration by way of loss of ingredients or othervolatile material contained therein. Also of minor importance is theincreased expenditure of money, materials and labor required in thespecial operation for wrapping the packages with coins between thecellophane and wrapper as distinguished from the great majority ofpackaged cigarettes which are wrapped in the normal manner in massproduction machines for distribution in normal channels of sale over thecounter or the like.

Of major importance is the inflexibility for reflecting a price changein the commodity since the many thousands of packages cannotconveniently and economically be recalled from the market for rewrappingwith correct change to be returned to the purchaser. While the change inprice of the commodity may be reflected with added expense in the saleof commodities contained within a wrapper of the type described, pricechanges in commodities sold through automatic vending machines which arenot contained in wrappers present a further problem. This is becauseproper change cannot be refunded in any amount with the commodity andtherefore it is necessary to establish a common price for purchase ofthe commodity through vending machines, which price may be greatly inexcess of that charged over the counter and, less seldom, a lower pricethan the over the counter price.

Where, as in many instances in the sale of beverages, the retail pricein stores is 6 cents, 7 cents or 8 cents per bottle, it becomesnecessary to charge 10 cents for the same commodity in an automaticvending machine since operation of the machine with coins of smallerdenominations than a lO-cent piece or larger than a S-cent piece has notbeen made possible from an economical and from a practical standpoint.

It is an object of this invention to produce a machine especially fromthe standpoint of the utilization of forces available in the machineduring a period of the cycle of operation wherein such forces have beenwasted and wherein factors imposed by the weight of large quantities ofcoins stored in the machine for refunding are substantially eliminated;which operates in response to the operation of the machine during areturn cycle where stored up forces are freely available thereby toreduce the load heretofore required for refunding; which is adaptablefor use with coin operated machines of various types and which isoperated by the insertion of coins of various denominations, with orwithout coin changing devices that are operated separate and apart fromthe refunder to make change while the refunding mechanism operates torelease separate coins for making up the diflerence between the purchaseprice and the amount of coin retained by the machine.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention willhereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not oflimitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of the coin controland operating mechanism embodying features of this invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the portion of the structure shown inFigure 1 illustrating the position of the parts during an intermediateportion of the cycle of operation;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the refunding mechanismembodying features of this invention;

Figure.4 is a perspective elevational view of a slide plate forming apart of the refunding mechanism;

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the portion of the mechanism shown inFigure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 6--6 ofFigure 2;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 77 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a sectional elevational view at right angles through one ofthe cylindrical sections shown in Figure 6.

A coin return or refunding mechanism of the type embodying features ofthis invention may be used in combination with a coin operatingmechanism of the type described in the Grunig Patent No. 2,321,199 and/or in combination with coin changers of the type described in theapplication of Staiger, Ser. No. 170,114, filed July 24, 1950, or withany other coin operated amusement or vending machine wherein the amountof coin adapted to be retained by the machine is greater than the amountthat is required to be paid for the service or the commodity dispensedby the machine.

In the drawings, illustration is made of a coin control mechanism inwhich coins 10, which have been inserted for the operation of themachine, are received first in a coin chute 11 which may be in the formof a U-shaped length of sheet material or the like having a bottom ;wall12 inclined downwardly to form a runway over which the coins travelwhile being retained in an upright position between the side walls 13.The coins are advanced over the runway to a lower end portion of thechute having an opening 14 in the bottom wall which is downturned toform a slot 15 through which the coins drop into the inlet opening of acoin testiu device 16.

The coin testing device may be of conventional construction for use inthe processing of coins through a machine to separate out theillegitimate coins from the legitimate coins and to separate the coinsinto their various denominations where the unit is adapted to receivemore than one type of coin. When, for example, the machine is adapted tobe Operated upon insertion of a dime, the testing device 16 may bedesigned for operation to test 10-cent pieces only delivered from onechute or to test two nickels when delivered to a separate device fromanother chute, as described in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,321,199.Instead, a single coin testing device may be employed for passage oflegitimate coins and rejection of others for operation of the ma chinewith coins of any denomination, with a changer associated therewith forreturn of change when denominations greater than a IO-cent piece areinserted. As previously pointed out, coin testing devices of the typedescribed for passage of legitimate coins for use in purchase andrejection of illegitimate or counterfeit coins, form no part of thepresent invention, except as employed in the conventional manner in acoin control system of a coin operated machine. Therefore, any cointesting device of conventional construction may be used, whether for usewith coins of a single denomination or with coins of variousdenominations.

Illegitimate coins rejected by the coin testing device 16 are deliveredthrough chute 17 to a reject receiver 18 which returns the coins to anopening having access from the outside of the machine for removal by thepurchaser. Legitimate coins of the desired denomination issue from anoutlet opening 19 in the underside of the coin testing device adjacentan opposite end portion. Such coins are delivered directly onto a camplate 20 having a recess 21 intermediate the edges in a peripheralportion thereof underlying the outlet opening 19 to receive the coinsupon delivery therefrom.

The cam plate 20 is fixed for rotational movement with an operatingshaft 22 which either mounts the sliding handle for actuation of themachine or is separately operatively connected thereto for turningmovement in response to actuation of the handle from a starting positionto an operating position and back in a cycle of operation. Ordinarily,rotational movement of the cam plate 29 from starting position isblocked by a stud 23 which extends laterally into the path of an arcuateextension 24 from the peripheral portion of the cam plate in which thecoin receiving slot is located and which has a locking groove 25 in theforward edge portion in position to receive the stud 23 in seatingrelation to prevent further rotational movement of the cam plate so longas the stud is in its normal blocking position.

The stud 23 is fixed on the lower end portion of an arm 26 which ispivoted at the other end 27 upon a.

supporting shaft 28 for rocking movement between raised and blockingpositions of adjustment. The rockable arm 26 is urged towards normalblocking position by its own weight and also by additional resilientmeans such as springs or the like (not shown). The slot 21, formed inthe periphery of the cam plate 20, is dimensioned to receive only aportion of the coin 10 in fitting relation therein. When a coin of therequired denominational value is received Within the slot, theperipheral edge portion 29 of the coin extends beyond the edge portionof the groove 25 and is in position to be engaged by the stud in advanceof its entrance into the groove during rotational movement of the camplate. Thus, instead of the stud 23 becoming seated within the groove 25to block rotational movement of the cam plate, the stud is engaged bythe curvilinear edge portion 29 of the coin which thereby cams the studupwardly out of the path of the extension 24 on the cam plate, asillustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, to permit continued rotationalmovement of the cam plate which enables the operating handle to bedisplaced from normal to operated positions of adjustment and back. Asthe cam plate 20 turns beyond its usual blocked position, the center ofgravity of the coin 10 seated within the slot 21 is displaced beyond theperiphery of the cam plate so that the coin falls from the slot inresponse to gravitational force into a coin receiver, which is notshown. Thus the cam plate 20 is capable of being blocked again uponreturn to starting position until another coin is deposited in the slotfor camming the stud or stop pin 23 and its rocker arm 26 from blockingposition to its upward or displaced position out of the path of the camplate.

To the present, description has been made of a structure of conventionaltype for control of the operation of a coin machine. Various other meansfor the control of the operating member or the release thereof foroperation through a cycle may be employed. The improvement embodying thefeatures of this invention are operatively connected to the elementsdescribed for the refunding of coins for making change in purchase at alower price.

As illustrated more specifically in Figures 2-9 of the drawings, thisrefunding device comprises a slide plate 30 of substantially rectangulardimension which is shiftable lengthwise within a channel 31 extendinglengthwise throughout the underside of a rigid, horizontally disposedframe plate 32, secured as by means of screws 33 to a side wall of themachine. The channel in which the slide plate 30 is mounted for freeshifting movement in the longitudinal direction is dimensioned to have awidth corresponding to the width of the plate defined between side walls34 and 35 depending from the underside of the frame plate for a distanceslightly greater than the thickness of the slide and with washers 36secured by screws 37 to the underside of the frame plate in overhangingrelation with the side walls to provide grooves which retain the slideplate 30 within the channel. It will be understood that other means forproviding grooves in the lateral walls of the channel section throughwhich the plate may be freely slidable in the longitudinal direction maybe employed.

The frame plate 32 is formed with one or more rectangular sections 38and 39 extending upwardly from the top wall in longitudinally spacedapart relation with one or more laterally spaced circular openings 40and 41 respectively therein extending downwardly through the frame plateto a distance short of the bottom wall 32*. In their lower portion 42,the openings are dimensioned to be slightly larger than the coins to bedisposed therein while the upper portion 43 of the openings is ofslightly larger dimension for receiving tubular members 44 of plastic orother relatively rigid material which rest upon the shoulders 45 formedbetween the openings of different dimensions and in which coins 46 areretained in stacks for dispensing in refunding operations.

The bottom wall 32 of the frame plate 32 is formed with a pair oflaterally spaced grooves 47 and 43 which extend lengthwise through theunderside of the plate in alignment to intersect the openings and thegrooves are formed to a depth which corresponds to the distance that thelower ends of the openings are spaced from the bottom wall plus thethickness of one of the coins 46 adapted to be dispensed. Each of thegrooves are formed with a crosswise dimension that is less than thediameter of the coins except for elliptical portions 49 and 50 ofgreater dimension than the coins which commence at about the point inalignment with the centers of the openings and extend forwardly thereofbeyond the openings for a distance preferably greater than one-half butless than the diameter of the coins.

The plate 30, slidable within the channel 31 adjacent the underside ofthe frame plate 32, is formed with a similar number of openings 51dimensioned to enable passage of coins therethrough and which correspondwith the location and with the dimension of the enlarged slots 49 and 50in the bottom wall of the frame plate and which are adapted to be inregistry therewith when the slide plate is shifted to what willhereinafter be referred to as its starting position of adjustment.Communicating wlth each of the openings 50 in the rearward portionthereof are a pair of elongate slots 52 and 53 which are spaced apartlaterally by an amount corresponding to the normal width of the elongateslots 47 and 48 in the base plate and through which pawls 54, in theform of legs depending from a bail, are shiftable between a normal and aretracted position of adjustment. In their normal position of adjustmentthe pawls extend through the slots to project beyond the upper surfaceof the slide plate, while, in their retracted position, the pawls aredisplaced downwardly to project a lesser distance or not at all from thesurface of the slide plate. Each bail is resiliently urged towardsextended position by means of a coil spring 55 which is disposed about apost 56 de pending from the underside of the slide plate rearwardly ofthe slots and which has one end bearing against the head 57 of the postwhile the other end bears against the top wall of an arm 58 extendingrearwardly integrally from the bail. Thus the bail is freely shiftablein the direction toward and away from the underside of the slide plateand which fits loosely about the post 56 to permit a type of rockingmovement during operation of the pawls between extended and retractedpositions of adjustment.

Operation of the slide plate 30 between normal and operated positions ofadjustment is effected through a stud 60 which extends laterally intothe midportion of the slide plate from a vertically disposed arm 61 of abracket which is fixed as by rivets 62 to the underside of the slideplate adjacent its forward edge portion. The stud is pivotally engagedby the lower end of a lever arm 63 which is adapted to extend through anelongate slot 64 contiguous with the forward edge of the slide plate inalignment with the stud while the other end of the lever arm is fixed asby spaced rivets 65 to a disc plate 66 which is pivotally mounted at oneend 67 for rocking movement about a supporting shaft 68 rigid with thehousing. A portion of the disc plate forwardly of the pivot and theleverarm 63 is formed with a vertically disposed slot 69 through whichthe shaft 22 extendsfor permitting relative vertical movement of thedisc plate 66 during swinging movement about its pivot. Beneath the slot69, the disc plate is formed with .a curvilinear slot 70 having itscenter of curvature corresponding to the upper portion of the slot towhich the disc plate is displaced during operation and which has anupwardly inclined angular slot 71 contiguous with the forward end of thecurvilinear slot The disc plate is operatively engaged by a stud 72which extends outwardly from an actuating plate 73 rigid with the shaft22 for turning movement therewith. Spring means, such as a coil spring74, concentrically disposed about the shaft 22 with one end inengagement therewith while the other end is secured with a chain 75 tothe frame of the machine, operates resiliently to urge the variousplates and shafts to their starting positions of adjustment with thestud 72 located in the lower portion of the angular slot 71 and with theshaft 22 extending through the lower portion of the vertical slot 69 ofthe disc plate and with the slide plate 30 in position to bring theopenings 51 in the plate in registry with the enlarged openings 49 and50 of equivalent dimension in the slots that are formed in the undersideof the frame plate.

A counter 76 for recording the number of operations of the machine issecured, as by means of a link 77, to an intermediate portion'of thelever arm 63 for oper- 6 ation of the counter in response to arm in acycle of operation.

In starting position, while the unit is at rest, the openings 51 of theslide plate are in registry with the enlarged openings 49 in the slotson the underside of the frame plate and the pawls 54 of the bail arepositioned to extend through the slots into communication with the.underside of the coin release openings. The pawls are depressed inopposition to the force of the spring 55 by the weight of .coins 46contained within the cylindrical holders 44 so that the coins, 'as aresult, are supported on platforms 78 for-med by the portions of theslotted bottom wall which extend into the path of the openings in therearward portions thereof.

When a coin of proper denomination is inserted into the coin controldevice for operation of the machine, the coin 10 comes toerest withinthe slot 21 provided in the periphery ofthecam plate .20. Upon actuationof the operating handle through a cycle of operation, the stud 23normally confronting the cam plate for blocking movement thereof isengaged by the leading edge of the coin 10 which cams the 'stud and itssupporting arm out of blocking position.

-As the operating handle is actuated further tothe point wherein thecoin drops from the cam plate into a coin receiver, the stud 72 isrocked with the operating plate 73 with the shaft. During initialmovement of the "stud 72 while in operative engagement with the inclinedportion of the slot 71, the disc plate 66 is displaced downwardly andlaterally about its pivot until the stud 72 enters the curvilinearportion 70 of the slot which now has the shaft 22 in its center so thatfurther movement of the stud conjointly with the operating handle willimpart no further movement of the disc plate other than to retain theplate in its operated depressed position. v i

During displacement of the disc plate 66 by the stud 72 to operatedposition, the lever arm 63 is concurrently rocked in its rearwarddirection to cause the slide plate 30, to be displaced rearwardly toretracted posirtion. ,Ihis carries the pawls rearwardly beyond theopening in which the coins are located. Upon clearance of the coins, thepawls are free to return to normal extended position within the slots 47and 48 in response to. spring force to the extent permitted by theadjacent wall of the disc plate but with the pawls in alignment toengage the peripheryof the lowermost of the coins in the path thereof. i

As the cycle of operation is completed, the stud 72 reenters theinclined slot 71 so that the disc plate may be returned in response tospring force to its starting position. Concurrently, the lever arm 63rocks back to its starting position which carries the slide plateforwardly with it to starting position. As the slide plate is actuatedto a forward direction, the pawls -54 engage the rearward edges of thelowermost coins to cause displacement thereof forwardly over theplatforms and through the grooves that are formed between the platformsand the base of the openings so that the coin may be displaced fonwardlyfrom the stack into the elliptical openings 49 or 50 of larger dimensionto enable the coins to fall through the openings by gravitational forceand through the openings 51 of the slide plate in registry therewithinto the hopper 79 located beneath the slide plate and then through theinclined chute 80 for delivery to the outside of the machine forremoval.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the weight of the coins 46contained within the tubes 44 rests almost exclusively upon theplatforms 78 between which the pawls are slidable. As a result, theslide plate which in the past has received the entire load, can be movedwithout effort from starting to retracted position of adjustmentfordisplacement of coins for refund. It is during this portion of theoperatoin that the greatest load requirements are imposed upon theoperating handle movement of the 7 and the parts associated therewithand relief of load during this period provides a distinct advantage inthe ease and efficiency of operation of the machine.

When maximum force is required to effect displacement of the lowermostcoin from the stacks, utilization can be made of the energy stored up inthe machine and released without other use during the end portion of thereturn cycle of the machine thereby to effect the desired refundingoperation withoutimposing additional load upon the machine.

In the drawings, illustration is made of four containers for thedelivery of :coins for refund from the machine. When all four have coinsstacked therein, return movement of the plate will cause simultaneousdisplacement of one coin from each-stack resulting in the delivery offour from the return chute. When it is desired to return or refund onlythree coins, one of the columns may be removed or allowed to remainempty so that one coin from each'of the three remaining columns will bedisplaced for refunding. Similarly, the number of stacks may be reducedto one or two or increased to more than four in the event that greaterflexibility is desired in refunding operations. It will be furtherunderstood that the depth of the slots and the lengths of the pawls maybe varied to engage more than the lowermost coin where refunding of agreater number of coins is desired. For example, the pawls may beadapted to confront two or three coins in each of the containers fordisplacement forwardly thereof to the grooved portions of largerdimension through which the coins may be permitted to drop for refundingthereby to vary the number of coins returned in response to normaloperations of the machine.

It will be apparent from the description that various modifications may'be made in the structure Without departing from the invention,especially as defined in the following claims. For example, the platformmay comprise shelves entering laterally into the path of the openings inwhich the coins are stacked so long as the shelves are spaced from thelower end of the openings by a distance slightly greater than the numberof coins to be delivered therefrom. The shelves or platforms may extendbeyond the center of the opening so iong as the length of the shelvesforwardly of the openings is less than the length of travel of the slideplate so that the coins may be placed over the shelf beyond the endthereof for delivery. When such spaced shelves are employed, theelliptical openings in the bottom wall forwardly of the shelves and thegrooved portions in the bottom wall rearwardly of the shelves may beeliminated, especially when the shelves constitute anelement separateand apart from the frame plate but rigid with the underside thereof.

What is claimed is:'

1. In a coin control mechanism operable through a cycle of operation, acoin refunding device comprising a frame plate having a plurality ofopenings spaced longitudinally and laterally one from the other thereinand dimensioned to receive stacks of coins to be refunded, a slide platecommon to all of said openings and longitudinally shiftable rearwardlyand back between normal and retracted positions of adjustment adjacentthe underside of the frame plate and having openings in alignment withbut offset from each of the openings in the frame plate when the slideplate is in normal position and in which the openings are dimensioned topermit passage of coins therethrough, shelves rigid with the frame plateextending laterally into alignment with each of the openings in theframe plate and spaced from the lower ends thereof by a distanceslightly greater than the thickness of the coins to be dispensed andhaving slotted portions therebetween, said shelves being dimensionedlengthwise to be less than the distance between the retracted and normalposition of the slide plate, pawls resiliently urged upwardly throughthe slide plate in alignment with the rearward ends of each of theopenings therein and in alignment with the slot between the shelves andthe frame plate and in position to be located rearwardly of the openingsin the frame plate when the slide plate is in retracted position, andmeans for actuating the slide plate between normal and retractedpositions and back whereby the pawl causes displacement of coins locatedbetween the shelves and the lower ends of the openings over the shelvesfor passage through the openings in the slide plate.

2. In a coin control mechanism operable through a cycle of operation, acoin refunding device comprising a frame plate having an opening thereindimensioned to receive a stack of coins to be refunded, a slide plateshiftable rearwardly and back between retracted and normal positions ofadjustment adjacent the underside of the frame plate and having anopening in alignment with but offset forwardly from the opening in theframe plate when in normal position and dimensioned to permit thepassage of coins therethrough, shelves extending laterally intoalignment with the openings in the frame plate and spaced from the lowerend thereof by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of thecoins to be refunded and having a slotted portion therebetween uponwhich the coins in the stack normally rest, said shelves, forming anintegral part of the frame plate bottom wall, being dimensionedlengthwise to be less than the distance between the retracted and normalpositions of the slide plate and terminating in an opening in the bottomwall of the frame plate forwardly of the coin receiving openingsdimensioned to enable coins to pass therethrough upon displacement fromthe stack, and a pawl resiliently urged upwardly through the slide platein alignment with the slot between the shelves and in position to belocated rearwardly of the opening in the frame plate when the slideplate is in retracted position to cause the coins located between theshelves and the lower end of the opening in the frame plate to bedisplaced forwardly over the shelves and into alignment with theopenings in the slide plate for passage therethrough as the slide plateis actuated to normal position.

3. In a coin control mechanism operable through a cycle of operation, acoin refunding device comprising a frame plate having an opening thereindimensioned to receive a stack of coins to be refunded, a slide plateshiftable rearwardly and back between retracted and normal positions ofadjustment adjacent the underside of the frame plate and having anopening in the frame plate when in normal position and dimensioned topermit the passage of coins therethrough, shelves extending laterallyinto alignment with the opening in the frame plate and spaced from thelower end thereof by a distance slightly greater than the thickness ofthe coins to be refunded and having a slotted portion therebetween andupon which the coins in the stack normally rest, said shelves beingdimensioned lengthwise to be less than the distance between theretracted and normal positions of the slide plate, and a pawlresiliently urged upwardly through the slide plate in alignment with theslot between the shelves and in position to be located rearwardly of theopening in the frame plate when the slide plate is in retracted positionto cause the coins located between the shelves and the lower end of theopening in the frame plate to be displaced forwardly over the shelvesand into alignment with the openings in the slide plate for passagetherethrough as the slide plate is actuated to normal position and inwhich the resilient force urging the pawl to extended position intoengagement with the bottom wall of the frame plate is less than theforce generated by the weight of coins in the stack so that the coinswill rest on the shelves even when the slide is in other than retractedposition.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Beck July 29, 1924 Jaskowiak Aug. 17,1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Italy of 1930

